Causes: Ankle sprains are not caused by overuse, like many other running injuries. Instead, ankle sprains usually occur from small accidents like stepping off a curb or landing on the foot in an ackward way.

What to Expect: The degree of the injury depends on the severity of the torn ligament. Therefore, depending on the severity of the sprain, there is usually swelling, and bruising. In addition to this, it may be hard to put weight on the foot that is injured. Also, it is important to realize that swelling and bruising do not always take place at the exact site of the injury. There may be bruising by the toes, on the calf, or lower down on the foot. If you have a sprained ankle it will be hard to move the foot up and down and to rotate the ankle.

Treatment: Sprains of the ankle can be treated at home with the simple RICE method which includes Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. However, if the injury is more serious and requires medical attention, x-rays will be necessary to find out the severity of the injury. Finally, once a sprained ankle has heeled, rehabiliation may be necessary. This is because the ankle may need to be trained how to move again. If rehabilitation is needed, exercises will be used to restore motion and strength.

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